Vehicle spring



July 21 1925'. 1,546,896

W. HERBERT VEHICLE SPRING Filed Aug 12. 1924 INVENTOR ,azzzzzmlaerbe i WITN'ESSES 7? in 6, Z

I BY 4-. 6 ATTORNEY Patented July 21,1925. I

UNITED STATES 'wiLmAi/r imitates, or: sameness, some To mane-sea o; rowntt; or SMIT'HFIELD, non'rn CAROLINA.

, V vnnionn SPRING.

Application filed August 12-, 1924. Serial No. 731,585.

To all whom it may] conem:

' Be it known that 1, WILLIAM HERBERT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Smithfield, in the county of Johnston and 6 State of North Carolina, haveinventednew and useful Improvements in Vehicle Spr1ngs,'of which the following 18 a specification.

This invention. relates to vehicle springs.

The obj eot is to improve the constrtiction of leaf springs for use especially intautomobiles, by minimizing the jolting and jar ring incident to rough travel and providing for absorbing the downward shock in the several leaves of the spring when an inequality is enceuntered in therroadbed, and likewise to more slowly and delicately retard the rebound following such shock.

Another object is to provide a spring having the above characteristics which may be constructed at a cost not exceeding the cost of an'fordinary spring, which will be strong and durahle, retaining its resiliency throughout the life thereof, and which may be ap lied imposition on the vehicle and retained thereinwithout theuse' of bolts 61* cups to hold the several parts together, other than the ne essary fastening means for holding'the springon the axle or frame,

ingeiiec't obtained, generally, only with the aidof snuhhers, shock absorbers, and likedevices; r

A full and complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from a consideration of the follownigdetailed description, taken" in connection with the accompanying drawing forming apart of this specification, a being audersioed that while the drawing shows practical form or the invention, the latter is not to be confined to strictconfol-niaywith the showingthereof, but may he changed or modified, so long as such changes m modifications marl: no material del'iarttire from the salient features 6f the invention, as specifically pointed out in the appended claims; a i In the dawfg, in which similar-reference character-s designate correspondingparts throughout the several figures Figure 1 is a display View of the several leaves comprising the spring of the present invention and having the improvements inear-ported therein;

creasing in length shortest, and being of any desired number Figure '2 is a side elevation of theassen1- led spring, in normal position; Figure 3 is a similar View of one "end thereof and drawn on an enlarged scale; 77 Figure 4L is aside elevation of thespring showing the position of the parts when under maximum load; I y Flgure 5 is a bottom plan view of the same;

ell-semi, seem at mania Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view,

taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 4 and drawn on a larger scale. a

While the improvements constituting the present invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing as applied to "a well known form of. semi elliptical spring, it is to understood that the saidimprovements may be used with equal advantage on full elliptic springs, as the latter are, in effect,

merely the duplication of the former placed mopposed relation to each other. t The leaves 1 ofthe spring arefornietl of the usual tempered, spring steel bands of the same uniformly dedifferent lengths,

from the longest to the depending on the particular use to which the spring is to be put the heavierthe serv- .ice the more leaves required andvice versa. said sprln'g giving that delicate cushionaxle 2 or other support. Ordinarily these leaves are allinitially formed on arcs of CiIClES havlng diife'rent radii, that 1s to say,

the inner or upper and longer leaf 1 is v curved on the arc ofa circle havlng a given length of radius, such distance depending on the size, length and strength of the spring,'all the other leaves being curved on successively increasing radii down to the shortest leaf so that, when in their normal state, they may be nested or interiitted, when the longest and the shortest leaves, to'getherwith the intermediate leaves, will fit flat against each other in close contact throughout their opposite faces (Fig. 1).

One of the features of the present invention which is of primary importance is to initially form said leaves 1 all 011 the same radius, or in other words, the shortestand intermediate leaves are exactly like a section of corresponding length out out of the longest leaf, and the purpose of the displayed view, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawing, is to emphasize and to make clear such fact.

The upper and longer leaf 1 is provided with the usual terminal eyes 3 for the reception of shackle bolts 4 or other bolts for securing the spring directly to the frame member, and all of the leaves are of the same thickness and width throughout their lengths.

Each leaf, with the exception of the lowermost and shortest leaf 1, is provided adjacent to each end thereof with an abutment flange 5 secured in position, preferably by welding or brazing, and extending transversely thereof from edge to edge, each flange preferably having a base portion to strengthen the attachment of the same, and also having at its outer edge an overhanging lip or shelf 6 directed toward the center of the leaf, and adapted to overlap the free end of the next shorter leaf beneath the same, when the parts are assembled.

In assembling the leaves, each succeeding shorter leaf may be sprung sufliciently to allow the ends to enter beneath the overlying lip 6, and when released, the said ends are in spaced relation to the abutments 5 and resting upon said lips, as shown in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawin In order to prevent any lateral movement of the leaves relative to each other, each leaf, with the exception of the shortest, bottom leaf, is provided with side arms 7 welded or otherwise connected to the side edges thereof, and extending down and across the side edges of the next shorter leaf and adjacent to the end thereof. Each side arm 7 is provided with an inwardly directed finger 8 formed integrally therewith and adapted to lie under the end of said next leaf, as clearly shown in Figure 6, and to allow the same to freely slide between the same, as when the spring is subjected to different loads, or when encountering inequalities in the roadway.

\Vhen the leaves 1 of the spring are assembled, as above stated, with the ends thereof housed between the side arms and resting upon the lips or shelves 6, and before the spring is secured in position upon a vehicle, thelike curvature of all the leaves will produce a space between the same, as readily understood, said space gradually diminishing towards the ends which will contact with the next longer leaf above. When, however, the spring is secured in position, as by means of the ordinary clips 9, on the axle or other support 2, the leaves are hecessarily clamped together at their centers, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, and the space is then equally divided at either side of the clamping members, the points of contact still remaining at the ends of the several leaves, the ends being spaced, as before stated, from the co-acting abutments.

The full, inherent resiliency of each leaf of the spring is thus preserved, there being no bolt holes through the leaves to weaken the same, nor bolts traversing them to cause the same to bind and to increase friction. As the spring is straightened out under the strain of a maximum load, as shown in Figure 4:, the ends of the leaves contact with the abutments, and gradually bring the resistance of the spring to the load into effect to relieve the shocks of jolting and jarrin The advantage of having all of the leaves initially formed on the same curve, lies in the fact that it overcomes the overstrain on the short leaves, and the said leaves are caused to function in unison to render the same more flexible under load and more rigid on the rebound.

What is claimed is 1. A vehicle spring comprising a plurality of curved leaves each of which is initially formed on the same radius, said leaves being successively shorter in length, and means for slidably engaging and holding the ends of the leaves together.

2. A vehicle spring comprising a plurality of curved leaves of successively shorter lengths, each shorter leaf being located against the convex side of the adjacent longer leaf and having the same normal curvature when initially formed.

A vehicle spring comprising a plurality of successively shorter curved leaves, each leaf, except the shortest leaf, having near each end and on the convex side thereof, a fixed transverse abutment normally spaced from the ends of the next succeeding shorter leaf when the spring is not under load, and. provided with an overhanging lip.

4. A vehicle spring comprising a plurality of successively shorter leaves having the same initial curvature to produce, when nested, spaces diminishing from the center outwardly to the contacting ends, means for slidably connecting the ends to the next longer leaf, and means for clamping the central portions thereof to an axle or support to cause the said separating space to be at each side of the support with the ends of each leaf in contact with the next longer leaf.

5. A vehicle spring comprising a plurality of successively shorter spring leaves,

clamping means for securing the leaves together at the center with the ends of the leaves contacting with the next adjacent longer leaf, and transverse overhanging flanges formed on each leaf, except the shortest leaf, to form abutments for the ends of the next shorter leaf when the spring is under extreme load.

6. A vehicle spring comprising a plurality of successively shorter spring leaves, clamping means for securing the leaves together at the center with the ends of the leaves contacting With the next adjacent longer leaf, and transverse overhanging flanges formed on each leaf, except the shortest leaf, to form abutments for the ends of the next shorter leaf When'the spring is under extreme load, the lip of said flange receiving the end of said shorter leaf to hold the same in contact and to permit sliding movement of the ends of theleaves.

7. A vehicle spring comprising a plurality of successively shorter leaves, each leaf, except the shortest leaf, having fixed transverse abntments in spaced relation to the ends of the next snorter leaf and adapted to contact With said ends only when the spring is under maximum load, an extended lip on each abutment to overlie the said ends at all times, and depending side arms carried bv each leaf, except the shortest leaf, and adapted to engage the side edges of the next shorter leaf and-near the end thereof to prevent any relative lateral movement thereof, said side arms having inwardly directed, terminal fingers bearing upon the outer face of the next shorter leaf.

8. A vehicle spring comprising a plurality of successively shorter leaves, each leaf, except the shortest leaf, having fixed transverse abutments in spaced relation to the ends of the next shorter leaf and adapted to contact with said endsonly when the spring is under maximum load, an extended lip on each abutment to overlie the said ends at all times, and depending side arms carried by each leaf, except the shortest leaf, and adapted to engage the side edges of the next shorter leaf and near the end thereof to prevent any relative lateral movement thereof.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed m signature.

WILLIAM H 4 RBERT. 

